I am a total road weenie. I have expensive shoes clipped into expensive pedals attached to an expensive bike, all with a team “kit” that matches. I am such a weenie that I even call the spandex billboard that I wear a “kit,” as if matching clothes are an essential cycling item. A lot of people feel that they need to buy their way into the sport, but I came from the other direction.

I decided to enter my first race after I had been working as a bike messenger through a fall and a winter season. During a cross country trip I decided that if I could ride my bicycle each and everyday, I would be happy for the rest of my life. So it began. A fellow messenger Andy and I bummed a ride to the race from his friend, a local college student named Pete.

Standing in the parking lot of my first race was an intimidating event. It was a cold April morning, with grey skies threatening rain. Looking around, I found myself in a new world. The clothing everybody had on was clean, bright, and colorful. The lycra seemed to be cut for each individual, to show off their muscle definition. The bikes were fancy, shiny, new—and expensive.